


The Lone Witch and The Secret Guitar

by JamesSunderlandsPillow



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Friendship, Gay, Guitar, Hurt/Comfort, LGBTQ, Love, Music, Romance, Yuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 05:21:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26347807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamesSunderlandsPillow/pseuds/JamesSunderlandsPillow
Summary: Amity decides to finally come forward with her feelings for Luz, but it has to be perfect. (I do not own The Owl House).
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Lumity - Relationship
Comments: 34
Kudos: 225





	1. Chapter 1

**The Lone Witch and The Secret Guitar**

Amity Blight wakes from a deep, dreamless sleep. Her eyes flutter with the brightness of a new day bleeding through the window curtains, but it isn’t long before she fully comes to. When she does, she remembers just how important today is, and she practically jolts out of her bed with a wide grin on her face. “Today’s the day!” she happily chirps, and she rushes to get her things together for the morrow ahead. She almost trips over her own feet as she gets her uniform together, but she’s fully clothed in Hexside Abomination Track colors in near record time.

She then makes her way to her vanity to have a good look at herself in the mirror. While most mornings she is almost too groggy or uninspired to even fix her hair into a ponytail, today she beams brightly as she fixes her green locks into her signature style. There’s a deep, relieved sigh too as she takes a moment to just have a good look at the reflection looking back to her. With a smile, she makes a vow, one she’s promised to see through for weeks now. “Today is the day. I’m finally going to tell Luz I like her.”

Luz Noceda, the dorky girl who made her way into everyone’s lives here in the Boiling Isles and turned everything upside down. The human who strives to become the very first non-witch to learn how to practice magic. The girl who seemed to be the bane of Amity’s existence on her first day trespassing at Hexside, and now the girl who has stolen her heart with every act of selflessness and bravery she’s displayed.

While Amity thought she feared nothing or no one, the answers she thought she knew to her questions were all changed with Luz’s ascendance in the world of witches. The people she thought she wanted in her life have fallen out of her favor. Old friends like Willow and new friends like Gus have become her lunch mates and lab partners. Heck, she even made nice with her older siblings! No, this wasn’t all Luz’s doing, but she certainly inspired Amity to make such drastic changes in her life.

And today, she plans to finally tell her all about it.

Of course, it can’t be anything less than perfect. While many things have changed these last few weeks for Ms. Amity Blight, one thing has not, and that is her tenacity to hold high standards for herself. That’s why there’s been such a struggle to prepare herself for such a day. Sure, there’s been some trepidation and self doubt regarding the whole confession of attraction to a human girl best friend thing, but ultimately what’s really been holding her back has been making sure that her intimate profession is one worthy of someone like Amity, and more importantly, someone like Luz.

Obviously. Duh.

Regardless, there’s much to be done before the big moment. And in order for the stars to align properly in this universe of Amity’s design, she must do a little walking before learning to fly. Most of it has to wait, because even the universe of her design relies on luck, circumstance, and other players in her game. Some of it however is entirely in her control, and right now, she thinks of a perfect way to spend this short window of time she has to herself.

In the corner of her room is a secret that very, very few people know about. Not Boscha or Skara, not Willow, and certainly not Luz. Heck, it even took a while for her brother and sister to find out about it. It’s a secret that she keeps closer than even the secrets in her diary, and one that she never thought she’d reveal to the world until today; another thing that Luz has helped change.

A beautifully crafted acoustic guitar, one with her favorite shades of purple painted across its make longs for her touch, seemingly beseeching the feel of her fingers as it waits for her there. She laughs a little at the thought that maybe it has its own little sort of magic, one that makes the possibility of it summoning her a little less implausible. “Hey you,” she simply says to it as she carefully picks it up by its neck, slowly positioning it into her lap as she takes a seat on the bed. “Ready to show the world what we’ve got?” she asks as she gets comfortable. She inspects the instrument closely for any imperfections as she adjusts the tuner of the low E string, knowing without even having to check that it’s slighted out of tune with inactivity. Unlike most things though, she doesn’t worry long about whether or not things are perfect with her guitar. She just knows that they are.

The prospect that this is a good omen for things to come today makes her bubbly inside, and she gives the strings a light strum with her thumb, just enough to hear the glorious ring of them. “Ahh,” she sighs, and she doesn’t waste any time grabbing a pick from her dresser to get a little practice in before later.

She doesn’t get super crazy, she just relies on muscle memory as she slides her fingers up and down the fretboards to create a slick little riff. Its sound could be interpreted in many different ways to all sorts of different ears. Funky, raw, melancholy; you name it. To her, it’s the beginning of a proclamation. One that outweighs any sort of Grom invitation or Grudgby match. It’s the same riff she’ll play later today, only this time, it will be in front of dozens of people, not just herself.

One of these people will be Luz Noceda.

She isn’t able to lose herself for too long in the same daydream she’s relived for days now, the one where she gets up on stage and pours her heart out through a song, all while Luz watches on and slowly melts into a puddle of swoon. Instead, the only sound she can hear is the sudden pounding on her door, and the familiar voice that follows. “Mittens! Get your butt out here already!”

It would seem that her older sister Emira is just as eager to get today started. It disappoints Amity a little that she doesn’t get a little more alone time with her beloved guitar, but she doesn’t sweat it too much as she puts it back in its place over in the corner. One, she’s very much eager to get this day moving. Two… she’s Amity Blight. Of course she can handle this. 

“Coming!” she hollers back before making her way to and out the door. She’s met by the almost wicked grin of her older sister, but there’s something a little more modest about her sneer today. She’s ready for trouble, as she often is, but it’s a good kind of trouble.

“Did you sleep well?” she asks, but she doesn’t say what she really means. Amity sees this well enough, and while she’d normally be a little less obvious about her enthusiasm for the sake of playing cool, there’s no point in trying this time. Emira knows what’s up. That, and she’s too excited to care.

“Do I look nervous?” she asks, earning her a little bit of confusion from the older girl.

“No? Why? Are you nervous?”

“Yes,” Amity bluntly admits. “But mostly excited!”

Emira laughs a little, a warm little grin resonating on her face. “Good! I’m glad to hear it,” she says as she begins walking her way downstairs. Amity follows suit, pressing her hands on her cloak to straighten out any wrinkles. There aren’t any, but she just wants to be absolutely sure. “Mom and Dad left early to catch a Bus Bird to Metrocalypse. So me and Ed will take you to school,” Emira explains, and while there’s a morsel of shame in realizing it, there’s mostly relaxation as Amity sighs.

“Thank Grom,” she blurts out. “Honestly I’m in too good of a mood to have them bringing me down today.”

“It’s pretty sad when their favorite even thinks that way,” Emira chuckles as they make it into the kitchen downstairs. “But none of that this morning. I’m excited that you're excited!” It isn’t often that Amity’s older sister projects such positivity, but things have been different lately. For starters, after the incident with the Wailing Star and the library, the three Blight siblings made an agreement to try and get along more. It hasn’t gone perfectly, but for the most part, they’ve all done their best to keep their word.

Even if that promise had been forgotten though, Emira would still be as excitable as she is now. There’s nothing cuter to her than knowing about Amity’s little crush on cutie human girl Luz, and it’s become obvious to the youngest member of the household. Almost to the extent of being annoying.

However, there’s no annoyance right now as she shares in the radiance of Emira’s glow. She’s more than happy to indulge in her indulgence, especially with the fact that she’ll need some of her help in making her perfect daydream a reality. 

She won’t just need her sister, either. She’ll also need her older brother, who closes the refrigerator door and makes himself visible to his siblings. “Well look who it is. The girl who’s gonna rock the School Variety Show today,” he says to Amity, causing her smile to brighten even more.

She doesn’t even settle for subtle as she lets them know how their kindness makes her feel. “I’m almost worried about you guys being so nice to me lately.”

Edric pretends to scoff. “Jeez, can’t I just be nice to my little sister? Does something have to be wrong?”

“Yes,” Emira playfully says on their behalf before returning her attention to Amity. “But seriously Mittens, we want this to go just as well as you do. Luz is just such a cutie!”

Amity smirks at her remark about Luz’s cuteness. “Well, she’s gonna be mine by the time today is over. So don’t get any ideas.”

The comeback earns her a poggy guffaw from Edric, and Emira even seems impressed with such confidence. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear! I can’t believe our little Mittens is finally growing up!”

Poor Amity can’t help but redden in the face a little. She’s considered seeing a doctor about being so easy to flush, actually, but it will have to wait for another day. A day where less is at stake and she’s less likely to become a complete shade of crimson. “Yeah, yeah. So are you guys ready for the show? You both know what you need to do, right?” she asks, trying to get things on track. She might as well start railroading her day now, because if things are going to be perfect, she can’t rely on something as flakey as destiny or fate. No, she must be the conductor of this ride.

Emira and Edric both see through her, but they’re only a little embarrassed for her. It’s a day to be supportive, after all. “Give us some credit, little Miss Perfect. We’ve been practicing,” he says to her with confidence, but said confidence is a little shaken as he takes a moment to reflect on something. “I’m… on the right again, right?”

“Yes Edric! But I think that’s the least of our worries!” Emira assures him, and her brother’s bravado quickly returns.

“I’m not worried, Amity’s gonna kill this.”

While she appreciates his encouragement, she’s a realist at heart. She knows there’s no such thing as being too prepared. “I won’t if I don’t take this seriously, though. It has to be perfect! Luz deserves perfect!”

Some of the energy wanes from the room as Emira takes it upon herself to try and be a voice of reason. “Just don’t put too much pressure on yourself, okay? Luz might deserve perfect, but she doesn’t expect it. Just do the best you can,” she tells her little sister, being sure to look to her with nurturing eyes as she does.

Amity does take a second to consider her words, but ultimately, she only lets them weigh on her so much. One, she knows deep down that while Emira’s right, she can’t afford to become careless. That’s a good way to screw everything up. Two, Edric ruins the mood with a stupid quip.

“Yeah. Not everyone can be as naturally gifted as me, after all.”

Emira isn’t impressed, and she’s sure to put him in his place. “Ed, the last girl you kissed was Buttermew Dufflewarts. You have no room to talk!”

“She’s a nice girl!” Edric scoffs, seemingly taking some genuine offense.

“That’s a euphemism for ‘ugly,’” Emira whispers to Amity, knowing full well that Edric can hear it anyway. Her plan to make him salty works too, because he grimaces something fierce.

“You know what? I’m not talking to you anymore,” he tells her before grabbing his can of Witch Doctor Pepper and heading into the living room. Emira just rolls her eyes, but Amity sees this as an opportunity to shift things into second gear. Less talk, more action.

“Okay guys, it’s almost time for school. Let’s get going!” she reminds them, even giving Emira a little shove towards the foyer.

“Jeez, Mittens. Slow down a little,” she tells her, and Edric even returns to chime in.

“Yeah, you’re gonna forget to pack your lunch again,” he reminds the fourteen year old. She anticipated this though, and before the words even have time to linger, she’s closing the fridge door with a lunchbox in hand. 

“Packed it last night,” she tells them with a grin.

“And your books?” Emira brings up now, but Amity’s haughtiness doesn’t simmer.

“Didn’t even take my bag to my room last night,” she answers as she points to where it drapes over a chair by its straps. The twins both nod with approval, but they don’t let her off the hook just yet.

“I feel like you’re forgetting something else,” Edric thinks aloud, and Emira joins him in some thoughtful chin rub humming.

While it pains Amity’s pride a little to do it, she joins in too for the sake of Luz. It doesn’t take her long to realize that her brother is right either. “Oh shoot! You’re right!” she gasps, and before the twins even have time to ask what’s the matter, she’s racing to get back upstairs. “Go ahead and get going, I’ll catch up!” she instructs them.

It happens too fast for the twins to fully process, and they’re left to boggle a moment. The boggling brings time for deeper contemplation though, and even a little concern on the part of Edric. “You think she’s gonna chicken out?” he asks his twin sister.

“Nah. I’m more worried about her overdoing it, to be honest,” she casually responds. As the words leave her lips, the sound of Amity’s feet trampling down the stairs echoes throughout the house, and they’re soon rejoined by her. This time, a sleek black guitar case is draped around her shoulder, precious cargo nestled safe inside.

While the twins don’t meet her gaze for maybe half a second, the half second is enough for her to grow impatient. “What are you guys waiting for? Let’s go!” she practically begs.

They don’t get annoyed though. Instead, they just smile at one another before humoring their sister. “Okay, okay. Lead the way, Lover Girl,” Emira insists.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, true believers. Normally I get long-winded with my ANs, but I think I'll just let this story speak for itself.**

**The good news: I have this story finished! It's about 17k words though, so I decided to break it up into chapters. The next one will be out in a day or two, so I hope to see you then!  
**

**Until next time, stay safe, and thanks again! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

“Alright, Amity. Play it cool. You got this,” she says to herself as she makes her way through the backlot of Hexside Academy. The sun is shining vibrantly over a breezy day that lies somewhere between summer and fall, creating just the right atmosphere for this day she’s held such high hopes for. Everyone in every direction seems to have a smile on their face, and when they see Amity, they seem to smile brighter, convinced that she’s ready to take on the world.

Sure enough, she wants to be. She’s doing her best to be ready for everything that will be thrown at her. She isn’t invincible, though. While there’s poise in every step she takes, she faces freedom with a little fear. But it’s all in the name of love, and she won’t be denied.

She doesn’t worry about her siblings or her guitar right now. They’re all sneaking through the backstage of the auditorium at this very moment to get things ready for Amity’s groundbreaking surprise. She doesn’t worry about how she’s going to reveal her secret talent to the entire student body of Hexside, or how Luz could have a front row seat to her first ever concert. If she worries too much now, she’ll be too worn out by the time the afternoon rolls around. So instead of worrying so much about then, she worries more about now, and how she needs to keep smiling wide for her friends as they enter her view.

Willow and Gus, Luz’s other best friends. One of them has only recently given the Blight prodigy a chance, and the other knows her all too well. It hasn’t been an easy road for anyone, but they’ve done the best they can to respect and understand one another to become more than faces that pass by. Maybe it was because they all shared a friend in Luz at first, maybe. Now, there’s much more that keeps these bonds connected. It’s the past, the good and the bad from it, and the prospect of a bright future.

“Hey Amity!” Willow is first to greet with a chipper wave. It’s the sort of thing that Amity was known to ostracize back when her clique consisted of Boscha and the other so-called ‘cool kids,’ but times have changed. She doesn’t have to try hard to be something she’s not for the sake of others. Instead, she gets to enjoy the feeling of true acceptance as she smiles back, even going as far as to do a little twirl on her way to meeting them.

“Hello lovelies. How are you two today?” she asks them, the corners of her lips nearly touching her ears. While it’s not unusual for Amity to smile nowadays, Gus and Willow both notice just how much pep is really in her step, especially her old friend Willow.

“Lovelies? Someone’s in a good mood,” she comments.

An understatement, but not something to nitpick. That part of Amity is in the past. The new and improved Amity chooses to instead embrace the positive energies. “I just have a good feeling about today, that’s all.”

While Willow raises a brow with curiosity, Gus can’t help but be a little less curious about Amity, and a little more piqued by the question she raised. “Well to answer your question, _I_ am feeling fantabulous!” he unabashedly shares. “I think it’s safe to say that I will be the talk of the school after today’s Variety Show.”

“Gee Gus. You’re so humble,” Willow scoffs, but Amity doesn’t take offense. She just giggles a little as he continues being himself.

“I don’t know, am I humble? Let me ask myself,” he states before using his magic to create an illusory clone of himself. “Gus, am I humble?” he asks the clone.

“As humble as it gets, bro.”

“Thanks bro,” he says to his fake twin, even going as far as to high five ‘him.’” Amity laughs, and while Willow doesn’t want to, she can’t help but join in.

“You’re too goofy,” she tells him. She doesn’t indulge him for too long though, as she soon shifts her attention to another one of the Variety Show’s performers. “What about you Amity? What do you have planned for the show?”

There isn’t a fireball’s chance in The Knee that she’ll reveal her secret surprise. If her plan to woo Luz in perfect fashion is to stay intact, she can’t risk any word reaching out. Not even through people she trusts. She wasn’t going to say anything of the sort, but even if she could, it wouldn’t matter. The three friends aren’t left alone much longer.

“Don’t bother asking her. She’s not telling anyone,” a certain voice pitches in. It’s the voice that always sends a little chill down Amity’s neck, a little shiver at her spine. The voice that sends a shockwave through every vein in her body all the way to her ever beating heart, and the one she loves to hear most. The one she wishes to sing for, the only one she ever has.

It’s an angelic voice joined by a statuesque face, the one that Amity sees every morning when she wakes up and every night before she drifts to sleep. When she turns to see her, she almost freezes knowing what she knows, feeling what she feels.

Luz Noceda. The girl she’s going to confess her feelings for. _Today._

She knew this could happen though. And in a way, she hoped for it. While approaching her after the show and finding somewhere only they know would be all sorts of perfect even without a prior engagement today, this just adds sugar to the sweet stuff getting a little time with her beforehand. She gets a little time to show Luz that she’s strong, shrewd, capable. All the things she herself is without even realizing it.

Maybe it’s preparation, maybe it’s magic, maybe it’s something in her genes, or maybe it’s just dumb luck. Whatever it is, Amity is able to bury the freezing feeling she gets seeing her crush, and she just smiles at her like everything is cool as can be. “Hmm, maybe I’ll just tell Gus and Willow and keep you in the dark, my little mushroom.”

Anyone else would find fault with her rebuttal. Luz isn’t just anyone though. She wears a poker face well as she pretends to be insulted by the new moniker of ‘little mushroom,’ but Amity sees the truth in her eyes. She’s having just as much fun as she is. “Wow. I call you nice things like gorgeous and home slice and you call me a mushroom? Wow.”

If the rest of the day can just go as well as this first encounter, then Amity Blight has got this in the bag. She knows not to get careless, but she also decides to heed her older sister’s advice from earlier and alleviate some of the pressure she’s been putting on herself. She can just let loose with her friends for a little bit here, as well as the girl she likes.

“She called us lovelies,” Gus interjects, just adding to the tomfoolery. Just like Amity rolled with Luz’s joking around, she does so with his words, feigning a look of disappointment towards her fellow Grom Queen.

“I knew you hated me,” she says to her, and- dang it. She’s just too cute for Amity to go on pretending she doesn’t care. A laugh escapes her, and she’s reminded just why she’s going through so much trouble to wow this girl in the first place. All because of some silly jokes.

“You’re such a goober,” she says, and Luz lets her guard down too to strike back with another saccharine blow.

“Yes, but I’m your goober.”

Amity knows that she probably doesn’t mean anything by it. She’s just saying that because they’re good friends. Even so, she feels so many warm and fuzzy feelings coming over her, her face pinkening a little as she’s forced to look to the side for a moment just to regain some composure. Luz doesn’t make things any easier though with the way she just keeps softly smiling back to her, the purest and sweetest intentions being shown with just a gaze. It’s a gaze that Amity could lose herself in forever, and if everything goes right today, she just might be able to a little later on.

Until then, she’s just one fourth of a group of friends all spending time before opening bell together. And she has to share Luz with Willow and Gus. “Didn’t you say you were going to join the show, Luz? Whatever happened to that?” the former asks her.

Well, that’s one way to help Amity move past her swooning. This is her first time hearing about such a thing. It would seem to be true too as Luz reluctantly answers Willow’s question. “Eh, I thought about it, but I had other stuff going on,” she nervously tells her, all while rubbing her neck and looking off to the side.

“You were going to join the Variety Show?” Amity asks next, hoping it’s not obvious that her curiosity has quickly piqued. There’s a small shadow of regret in seeming so interested so fast. Does it show too much desperation? Does it do anything at all to let Luz know her true intentions? Conversely, does it flatter her to see that what she does is so important to the other girl?

Whatever the case may be, Amity doesn’t get to learn. Gus’s own enthusiasm for the Variety Show seems to trump the mystery of Luz’s involvement. “Oh shriek! All this talk about the show made me realize I forgot my fancy pants!” he excitedly blurts out, and before the girls can ask him anything about his foul language or his pants, he takes off running.

Willow lets out a heavy sigh while facepalming. “I better keep an eye on him. Good luck with the show Amity!” she says to her oldest friend. And with that, she is left alone with Luz.

“Thanks, boo!” she’s sure to say back before accepting her new reality, hoping that she won’t succumb to the same anxiety that kept her from having a normal conversation with her crush the day after Grom. She feels her heart pound a little faster as she turns to face her now, the idea that this sort of thing could happen just like it did that same Grudgby filled day.

Strangely enough, the fear doesn’t paralyze her as she looks into Luz’s eyes. Instead, she feels a sort of warm serenity as she’s met with another one of her bright smiles, this one a little more inquisitive than the others before. “What is with you today?” she asks Amity, catching her off guard.

She isn’t so taken back as to completely shriek the bed, but she does find herself fumble over words as all she can think to say back is, “What?”

Luz takes a second herself to think of what she really means to say. “You’re so giddy!”

Gosh, her eagerness is just so wonderful. Everything about it makes Amity feel like a child again. Even so, she knows not to become too careless. It’s the mantra she keeps reminding herself of; the one she keeps in mind as she replaces a child’s hesitation with a young woman’s confidence. “Would you rather I not be?” she teases, knowing that Luz will play along.

While it could have been considered arrogance on Luz’s part before the two girls became friends, it’s nothing for either girl to worry about today as she just chuckles a little, falling into Amity’s hand. “Of course not. I just wanna know what’s going on with you.”

Maybe the safe bet would be to toe the brakes. Maybe. But in Luz’s eyes, in her smile… Amity knows she can do something more. She can push herself just a little harder, strive to be a little better. So she decides to be just a little more playful, on the nose all while being right under it. “Are you always thinking about me this much?”

Seeing that straight answers won’t be happening for the time being, Luz astutely follows through with her own brand of tact. It makes Amity’s heart race faster, but not in a bad way. She almost doesn’t even realize that she’s kind of tip toeing until after Luz finishes her response. “I wouldn’t tell you if I was. You don’t tell me your secrets.”

“What secrets do you wanna know?” It’s a question that Amity didn’t even know she needed to ask, but once it leaves her mouth, she understands the paramount importance of it. Sure, she’s just referring to the Variety Show. That’s all anyone can seem to think about right now. But there are other secrets so important to tell. Are they secrets Luz is ready to know? Does she really want to?

Before Amity can deflate with the idea that she doesn’t want to, Luz speaks again, keeping her (literally) on her toes for just a little longer. 

“I wanna know what you’re doing for the Variety Show. And why it’s such a big secret.”

There’s the rub. The Variety show. The minute it was announced, Amity knew she had to use it as a platform to position herself into Luz’s love life. The plan was simple. Show the world that she can secretly play the guitar (and play it pretty darn well), and that she likes to sing sappy love songs about her crush when she does. Luz will see this at the show, and if- _when_ she’s blown away by the performance... 

It’s going to be perfect. Amity keeps telling herself that in the back of her mind as she just quietly smiles back. She knows what she wants to do and what she needs to do, but even then, why wait to have a little more fun? Why not be a little queer to incite some curiosity from her human friend? “Hmm, maybe I’ll spoil the surprise if you tell me what you had planned for the show,” she tells her, knowing how this conversation ends.

As expected, Luz just chuckles a little before shaking her head. “Okay, you win. There’s no way I’m telling you.” In a way it’s all too satisfactory a result, but in another, there’s a little disappointment. There is the burning curiosity in Amity’s mind to know what sort of talent Luz wanted to share with everyone, and why she feels the need to keep it to herself. Luz never keeps anything to herself.

“Well look who’s talking now! Ms. ‘I wanna know all of your secrets,’” she ribs back, but there isn’t quite as much heart in her sass this time. It’s almost a knee jerk reaction to try and save face, to try and show the side of her she wants Luz to see, and not the side she’s keeping hidden until after the show. It’s a little hard with so much to take in though, and as a matter of fact, it’s just a little hard saving face with Luz, period.

She could take the joke in any number of ways, maybe playing detective in her mind over Amity’s inner thoughts the same way she does with her. Whatever she decides, there isn’t much to go off of besides a weak little giggle. “Okay, I’ll make you a deal,” she begins while straightening up a little. “If your act in the show is better than Gus’s, I’ll tell you what I was gonna do for the show.”

The thing is, Amity knows she’s telling the truth. She knows that she won’t back out of this new agreement. What she doesn’t know is how much it means to Luz to share her secrets. Is it something minor, part of a ploy to just have fun and be silly? It’s not a foreign concept for Luz to do such things. And yet, there seems to be something more. Maybe it’s Amity’s imagination, but it’s like there’s this fragile veil in Luz’s eyes, one that could fall apart at any moment and show deeper, more sincere feelings.

The veil is strong enough for the smile ahead of it to shine through, and that’s what Amity chooses to focus on as she returns the gesture with one of her own. “Well, I better knock it out of the park then, huh?”

She could just laugh again. She could make a joke about Gus being too cool for school, or maybe pester Amity into giving a hint regarding her secret talent. She doesn’t though. She just keeps looking to her eyes with this same vulnerable warmth, one that Amity becomes enchanted by as she just keeps staring back. “Somehow I feel like that won’t be hard for you,” Luz tells her now, and that enchantment nearly freezes her in place.

Not in the bad way though. Her heart is beating faster and faster, but it’s not like she’s going to turn red and forget how to speak. No, she just wants to be able to keep this feeling around for as long as possible, to be able to share her time and laughter with Luz everlong.

She doesn’t even think about it much, it’s just a bit of a sudden surprise that blooms in her mind. “Do you wanna walk to class together?” she asks Luz now, keeping all the jokes aside.

That fragile veil cracks. The smile on her face wanes weakly. Apparently, Luz was having a lot of fun too, because the thought of it ending becomes a reality. “I would, but I actually have to find Marcy. She let me borrow her Dungeons and Druids book and I’m scared she’ll set me on fire if I don’t get it back to her,” she explains with some weak laughter trailing her off.

On one hand, it cracks Amity too. The mask she didn’t even remember putting on her face falls out of place, probably making it obvious that she’s saddened to be left alone again. Alone without Luz, especially. On the other hand, she doesn’t become too disheartened. The strange thing about perfection is that, without imperfections to compare it too, it can’t exist.

Without this farewell, there isn’t the gravity for later events. There isn’t the emphatic reunion of the lone witch with her beloved human friend, the moment where all things come together just as she preordained. So she’ll wear a smile now as they say goodbye, and she’ll wear it well with the thought that, even with the obstacles, this was somehow perfect. “Well, I guess I’ll see you later then.”

“After the show, probably,” Luz guesses. If only she knew. There’ll be more time to think this over later though. For now, Amity just takes comfort in the smile encroached on her friend’s face. “Good luck, home slice.”

“See ya, mushroom,” she tells her with a weak wave, and while Luz doesn’t laugh, there’s a little pause as she turns to face the other direction. Hesitation that comes with endearment, a place of good feeling. Amity can tell that’s what it is, because she’s been on the other side of the exchange plenty of times.

As she walks away, she realizes something. That’s probably the last time she’ll talk to Luz until after the Variety Show. The next time they speak, it will be after Amity’s performance, after her incriminating song. What will Luz have to say about it? What will she think? Will she be impressed by the pomp and circumstance of it all, and will that be enough to inspire even more courage from a certain smitten witch?

Or will she read between the lines? Will she know that the song is meant for her?

Either way, there’s still a few classes to sit through before the big show. Plenty of time to overthink and over analyse while tuning out lectures about Abomination wellness and spellcasting trajectories. “You can do this, Amity. You can do this,” she repeats to herself. And throughout the day, it’s what she keeps in mind, second only to a song that she’s kept in her heart.


	3. Chapter 3

The seats of the Hexside auditorium are all filled with the butts of students, teachers, and parents all eager to see what their friends, pupils, and children are capable of for this year's Variety show. Right now, Amity only cares about finding one of them in the sea of faces as she creeps a peak through the backstage curtain. Her eyes wander along every row, ignoring the killer comedy routine that has Gus leaving everyone in stitches. Literally for a certain blue girl in the crowd whose hand falls off while she's clapping.

As he finishes joking with one of his clones about whether or not he's handsome for his age, she finally finds the face she's looking for. Luz's face, of course. She watches as the curves of her lip expand widely for a hearty laugh, one that just absolutely charms poor Amity Blight. She doesn't allow herself the pleasure of forlorn pining long, though. She knows that everything she's worked towards will come to a head very soon.

"You can do this, Amity. It's all for her," she reminds herself as she takes deep breaths and makes her way back to the backstage area. Naturally, her older brother Edric isn't so far away.

"Talking to yourself again, Mittens?" he razzes, earning him a little scowl from the younger sibling. She doesn't get too worked up for his comment though, instead choosing to focus her energy on being prepared for the incoming moment of truth.

"Are you guys almost ready? Where's Emira?"

"Relax, short stack. I was just freshening up a little before your big act," Emira answers as she makes her way around the corner. She says nothing more on the matter either, because she decides to pay more attention to what's happening on stage with Gus.

"Man, that little dude is really nailing it out there, isn't he?" Edric comments as he watches on too, enjoying the way he plays to his audience.

"Oh, he's definitely been the best act so far," Emira agrees, but as quickly as she turned away from Amity, she turns back to her for some last minute motivation. "But just wait until they see what our little Mittens here has in store for them."

It's effective, sure. It's definitely nice to have her and Edric by her side right now. It offers some comfort as every nerve she fought to keep in check these last few hours all start reducing to jelly in her arms and legs. Her heart hasn't pounded this hard since she can't remember when, and thank god for deodorant, because she's definitely perspiring.

There's a thunderous round of applause. It would seem that Gus has finished his act as he takes a bow and leaves the stage, and while everything feels like it's moving in slow motion, it all goes way too fast at the exact same time. All these people clapping, will they be clapping for her when she finishes her performance? Will they understand just how hard she worked to make this happen, everything she went through to muster the strength and courage to do something she considers to be monumental?

She thought she didn't care, but she does. And that's just the strangers in the crowd. What really matters of course… is Luz. Again she finds her face in the crowd, all smiling and oblivious to what's about to unfold before her eyes. Maybe it's the fact that she's so far away, or that she's so preoccupied with her other friends, but Amity can't resist the sudden feeling of dread that punches her in the gut. What if this has all been a mistake? What if she gets out there and pours her heart out to this girl… and it's all for nothing?

"Mittens!"

She shakes herself. Emira's hand lies on her shoulder now, and she didn't even realize it. Her eyes wander to the face of her older sister, and while there's a grin bewitched by her beauty mark, there's a certain level of concern in her amber eyes. "It's almost time."

It's almost time. Amity mentally repeats those words a few times to herself, and while she was so quick to fall into a sunken place of fear, she's even quicker to rise up out of it. She is not throwing away her shot. She's put too much time and effort into getting this far, and the whole Boiling Isles will be damned if she doesn't get out there and show them all what she's got.

"Are the urns in place? Is my guitar in tune?" she blurts out as she looks around, desperate for everything to be in her control. "Is my face red?!"

"Mittens-" Emira tries to start, but Amity gets so riled up.

"Are you two sure you don't need to go over this one more-"

"Amity!" she hollers now, and this time she gets her attention. The young girl forces herself to have some greater self control, attentively facing her older sister to hear what she has to say to her. "Listen, just go out there and be yourself. You do that, and you'll win big," she promises, an encouraging smile radiating from her face.

Amity takes a moment to let these words weigh down on her, fully allowing them to sink in and register. She's right. Or at least her intentions are. There's no guarantee that this will all go according to plan. Mistakes could happen, big or small. But the risk is worth the reward. If she can just go out there and play one song for this audience, then she can do anything she sets her mind to. Including telling Luz the secret truth she's kept from her for so long now.

Edric doesn't want his sisters to have all the fun though. So he adds his two cents, deciding to point out what everyone is already thinking. "And by that she means win the girl, of course."

The Blight twins can be a real pain in the neck some days. They've pulled a lot of stunts that have left Amity sore, both in mind and body, over the years. But some days, they can be really great as a brother and sister. Today, they're even her friends as she returns their smiles with one of her own. "Okay. I can do this," she says one last time, not just for herself, but for them.

"Amity Blight!" she hears being called. She turns to the direction of the voice, and it appears to be Ms. Sunny the art teacher. "It's almost your turn to perform. Are you ready?"

Just once more before heading on stage to do what must be done, she turns to face her siblings. The smiles on their faces stay tried and true, and Edric even throws up a little thumbs up.

With that, Amity faces forward. "I'm ready."

Beyond the curtains, Principal Bump approaches center stage with a microphone in hand. The students are all kind enough to shower him with cheers, and he humbly disregards them to assume his responsibility as Master of Ceremonies. "What a phenomenal performance! Truly a work of comedic genius!" he says in regards to Gus's previous one man show. The young man just smiles as he takes a seat by his friends Willow and Luz, and they listen to what their principal has to say. "Don't cool down just yet, though. Our next act is sure to amaze and impress!"

The three of them already know who he's talking about, but they still don't know what she has planned. No one outside of the Blight family does. And that doesn't even include their parents. Amity doesn't think about them though, she doesn't think about anyone really. Not at first at least. There's so much adrenaline coursing through her body that all she can really do is stand in place waiting for the curtains to draw back.

"You've heard the rumors, and I'm here to formally announce that they are true. Our next performer for tonight's Variety show is none other than Hexside's top student… Amity Blight!"

As Bump clears the stage, the lights all dim in the auditorium. Luz and her friends all watch with great anticipation as the curtains slowly slide open, and for a moment, all is left dark.

Amity takes her last breath of comfort in this darkness as the images flood her mind. Everything she's orchestrated all needs her full attention now, and nervousness will only make for failure. She knows never to acknowledge weakness when it matters most, and right now, it all truly matters as she feels the warm beacon of the spotlight shine down upon her.

Slowly she raises her head, her eyes looking out to everyone in the crowd. At first, they're all just indistinct shapes. Random figures that show as much life as the books occupying her shelves in her special place. With time, the whites of their eyes become more alive though, and the sounds of their rushed whispers become sort of a white noise for her to follow along the sea.

Maybe she is nervous, but if she is, there's so much adrenaline that she doesn't even notice. She's practiced and rehearsed this moment in her mind so many times now that it feels a memory, right down to the very second she's able to find Luz in the crowd.

She knew she would clam up a little upon finding her. It was to be expected. No amount of preparation compares to the real thing though, and seeing that bright, shiny face staring in awe up to her… it's enough to make her consider falling back and taking the easy way out.

That isn't what Luz would do though, and after everything they've been through, that sure as heck isn't what Amity is about to do. The risk is worth the reward. She deserves perfection. Every mantra she's repeated to herself for days upon weeks becomes the beginning of a symphony in her mind, one that she'll let lead her into something real, something tangible, something to share with everyone in the audience.

And with that, she begins.

"Abominations… rise!"

With her command, two things happen. First, beacons of bright lights shine from both sides of the stage. Hues of blue, green, yellow, and purple all come to life thanks to the illusory magic of Emira and Edric Blight. Their magic doesn't stop there, though. They're also able to conjure up a little fog that slowly spreads beneath their sister's feet.

Secondly, and even more awe inspiring for the members of the audience, four large urns joining Amity on the stage slowly shiver and shake until a large, impressive specimen of an Abomination reveals itself from within each vase. Their purpose isn't clear at first, but it doesn't need to be. Everyone from Eileen to Tiny Nose is mesmerized by the spectacle of the towering monsters among the fog and light.

The air is palpable, an electricity is alive. Amity feels it all surging around her, and with the seconds that pass, she realizes that it's all hers to control. The empowerment brings a smile to her face, and in this moment, she knows that she really can do this. It _will_ be perfect.

She extends her left arm to the side, letting it linger for only a moment before snapping her fingers. When she does, her favorite purple guitar manifests through a blaze of violet energy, garnering many oo's and aw's from the members of her audience. She watches the way that Luz's eyes widen with the revelation of the guitar, and like so many other times today, her heart begins racing because of her. She won't let the excitement bring her down, though. No, instead she will channel all of these feelings to bring to life that same song she's kept bottled inside for way too long.

As she positions herself on a stool that slowly rises from the stage (thanks to Edric's magic), the Abominations joining her all summon their own instruments from within their goopy bodies. A guitar, a bass, a violin, and even a drum set all join the fray as Amity prepares to work her magic, both literal and musical. She'll need a microphone to be heard though, so Emira follows in Edric's footsteps and brings forth one from within the stage for her. Then she shoots her brother a thumbs up. Just because they're doing awesome.

Finally, the moment is here. The moment that they've been waiting for for such a long time. They both feel their hearts pounding and their eyes widening as they watch their sister, eagerly anticipating the beginning of her concert. They aren't the only ones watching on with such suspense, though. Every single person in the audience is on the edge of their seats, all knowing that they are about to witness something truly sensational.

And Luz is certainly no exception. She feels her jaw dropping as Amity takes one last look to the ground at her feet, watching with this unrelenting empathy and excitement for what she's kept hidden for so long. Then… she shows herself.

From the very first note of her riff, the audience becomes elated with the sound of her music. With every slide and transition, with every note and chord, Amity plays them like puppets on her strings, almost the same way that she uses her magic to manipulate her abominations. Like her, they all strike thunder with their strings and drums, and it all blends together so magnificently, so chaotically beautiful, that even Amity can't help but be impressed by herself. It's actually happening, she's finally here. And the best part? Luz sees her. The real her.

Despite the churning in her belly, or racing of her heart, she works with the music to guide her into a song, one that she sings with all the bravado she can muster in her voice. Every word is part of a poem that speaks to her, one that she wants to be able to speak to Luz. Everyone else in the audience seems to vanish, they're all just shadows around her light. With every lyric that sounds from her throat, she looks to Luz, losing herself into those big brown eyes, almost begging for these words to reach out to her. To be heard the way she wants them to be.

The sad truth? She doesn't hear them. No one can.

It takes a moment for Emira to realize what's happening, but when she does, she frantically tries to do something. "Amity! Amity!" she tries calling out, but she doesn't hear her. The music all around is too loud and bombastic. It sounds great too, it really does, but one by one, the members of the audience all agree that something is missing.

By some cruel twist of fate, the microphone seems to have shorted out, and no one can hear the words Amity sings into them. They can tell she's singing from the way she moves her lips, and the way her eyes show no shame in giving into such powerful emotions. It doesn't change that she's unheard, though. And sadly enough, she doesn't even realize it.

Edric and Emira both exchange worried glances at one another, all while trying to continue their light show. Eventually though, Emira gets tired of calling out to Amity and not being heard, and she tries to take matters into her own hands, literally. She frees her right hand to break away from the lights and try to zap the microphone, hoping that maybe a little jolt of magic will do something to get it working. Unfortunately, it doesn't do anything except for startle Amity a little. Luckily, she's able to hold her chord without falter, thinking that her performance won't suffer at all from the fluke static. Unluckily, Emira's doesn't have such a smooth transition.

As she tries to get back to casting her lights, she accidentally casts the wrong shade of green instead of yellow. Normally this wouldn't be anything worth sneezing at, but when it comes to photosensitive Abominations, it can have more dramatic effects. And because fate is so cruel, it does this time.

The bassist Abomination becomes greatly discomfited by the change of pace, and it stops playing to let out a groan. At first Amity doesn't even notice, but as she gets to the second verse of her song, she begins to pay closer attention to the audience. Smiling faces turn into looks of concern and confusion, and while her music is too loud to tell, she thinks she might sense some whispering.

She quickly tries to forget all about it though as she realizes something even worse is happening. Not only is there no bass playing, but soon the violin stops too. She does her best to hold her own chord as she turns to see what's the matter, and for some reason, the bassist decided to toss a glop of its own goo at the violinist!

Dang it, she isn't singing anymore! Everyone knows something is wrong! She quickly focuses her energy on trying to get her abominations back on track, and while it might be working, something else seems to go wrong.

"Amity! Amity!" she hears her sister calling out. She tries to ignore her at first out of instinct, but she gives into the temptation when she remembers everything at stake. She looks to Emira to see what she has to say, but she can only see her lips move, unable to hear what they say.

What the heck is going on? Why does this audience seem so restless? Why are the abominations turning on each other? What is Emira trying to tell her? It's all happening so fast, and she has so much going on, and she's supposed to be in control of all of it!

But the faces in the crowd just get more puzzling and contorted, each one wearing its own brand of uncertainty. The meaner kids treat it like a joke, the confused parents think it might be, and most people just aren't sure what to do.

Then There's Luz. In typical Luz fashion, she's making these weird hand gestures to try and speak in some sort of sign language that only she understands, and all it does is make Amity more perplexed. She isn't able to sing, she's probably messing up some of her chords, and she's struggling to keep her magical bond with the Abominations in check as she watches this doofy, charming human girl keep charading like an idiot.

Her heart actually sinks in her chest though as she watches her leave her seat now, then she surfs through the rows and aisles like a madwoman to try and make her way up to the stage. "Luz?!" Amity blurts out, and it takes her a moment to realize that the name actually left her lips.

Soon enough, she also realizes that no one else heard it.

Everyone who isn't confused is laughing at her. The abominations are getting harder to control. Luz decided to just up and start running up to the stage for some reason, and to top it all off, Emira keeps shouting at her from behind.

"No one hears you!"

Finally, she hears that much. Emira says it from the back, Luz says it too as she approaches the ledge of the stage. With all of this excitement and noise, it takes her a moment to realize what they mean, but soon enough, she catches on. Every word she's sang tonight has gone unnoticed, probably because her stupid microphone doesn't work…

That was the start of it anyway. Something happened to make the Abominations all start acting up, and now it takes everything Amity has to keep hold of her guitar as she tries to conjure up the energy to control her minions. The strain is so much that she doesn't even realize they've all given up playing to instead throw goop at one another, but she doesn't give up. She keeps playing her guitar, she keeps trying to strengthen the resolve of her magic.

"Amity, stop! Let us help you!" Emira tries to call out, but she won't have it. She's supposed to be in control, this is supposed to be perfect!

"I can do this! I've got it!" she cries out, but the signs are all there. There's no song being sung, no lights or fog, and the Abominations are all out of control. Finally… it becomes too much for her. She falls to her knees. "Ah!"

"Amity!" Luz cries, and a collective gasp from the audience follows suit. The music stops. No smoke, no mirrors, just a witch on her knees with the spotlight all on her.

Slowly she raises her head to have a look at everything around her. No one moves or makes a sound for a moment, with the exception of a poorly timed drip drop of goop from the drummer Abomination. It falls very low on Amity's lists of priorities though as she feels this twisting churning in her stomach, like she might actually become sick. Somehow she perseveres through it to focus on the world around her, the faces in the crowd that all stare at her like she's one of the Abominations on display. It makes her vision a little blurry, she feels her hands and knees shaking as she instinctively rises to make it to her feet.

Once she does, all she can do is stare back. Silence falls on the Hexside auditorium as their top student says and does nothing, sweat dripping from her brow and down to her sideburns. Her throat is dry, her chest could burst with the slightest pin prick. Her ears almost ring, but only one things manages to bring her enough clarity to keep from total wreck.

Luz Noceda. The girl she did all of this for. Like the others, she stares back with so much uncertainty. Even worse, there's a sorrow in her eyes. A guilty pity that shows Amity is inadequate. Not enough. Seeing it ties a depressing anchor to her heart, one that brings her down to the reality that is her failure.

This is the real Amity Blight, alright. Imperfect.

What she doesn't see through this crippling feeling is the sweat that begins to drip from Luz's brow as she thinks of what to say. Everything happened so suddenly, but she can't just do nothing. Amity is her friend, she has to help somehow. She wracks her brain as she remembers everyone else in the crowd, all the other students and parents and teachers that watch her just as she does, seeing this same doe eyed paralysis from someone deemed untouchable. She's the top student, she's the best witch in the whole school, what can she possibly do to help her maintain this image?

There's no illusion spell or magical glyph that can help this time. Honestly, there may be nothing at all that she can do to make things any easier. But she has to try, and finally, she thinks of something that might just alleviate some of this overwhelming tension.

She turns away from Amity to face the crowd, wearing a cheeky, nervous smile as she tells them: "Uh… Technical difficulties?"

Dead silence. Principal Bump, Emira and Edric, Willow and Gus. The entire auditorium says nothing as they watch Luz now, staring at her awkward smile as her words linger in the restless air. " _Technical difficulties."_

For Amity, she's nebulous to everything as a moment of grace brings her just a second of relief. It's a very long second for her, but it is still only a second, and it drains away to brings her back to the same cruel reality of failure she's come to know. This time, it's even worse as she hears the members of the audience slowly join together to burst into laughter.

Maybe it was Luz's 'Technical difficulties' remark, maybe it's irony of the situation, maybe it's just the stupid, embarrassed look on Amity's face as she flabbergastedly looks out to the sea of dark faces. Whatever it is, the cheering and applauding that she had worked so hard to see right now has been swiftly erased by the everlasting memory of this laughter, the chorus of unimpressed individuals who will look back at Amity Blight's Variety show snafu and laugh at how ridiculous it all was.

The students, the teachers, the parents…

Luz.

For a moment, their eyes meet. Unlike the others, Luz doesn't laugh. Instead, there's that same pity from before, but this time it's so vehemently obvious. There's nothing to be enchanted by, nothing to be impressed with. Amity isn't someone worth swooning for, she's just a fool. A sorry fool.

She doesn't want to. She loathes the idea of it. But as much as she'd like to at least have the luxury of facing this failure with a straight face, she's denied even that as the tears welling in her eyes become too tough to manage. They fall from her eyes, cementing her defeat, completing her failure.

There's nothing left to show now, she knows that. So as the members of the audience keep having fun at the expense of her performance, she decides to leave them with that as she runs away from the stage, ignoring the faces of her twin siblings and her beloved crush as she hurries to escape this pain. She hears Emira calling for her to wait, she hears Edric call out her name. She won't stop though. Maybe they deserve a chance to help her, but she doesn't want in. She just wants to be alone.

And while there's so much she can't even begin to think about with her world turning upside down around her, one imperative truth sticks out clearly in her troubled mind. She has her guitar, and she has one place where she can be alone.


	4. Chapter 4

_The Lone Witch and The Secret Room_

It's not a book many have read. As a matter of fact, the one copy available at the Bonesborough Public Library would only collect dust if not for one Amity Blight. For years now, the book has served the purpose as a gateway into her special place, a kingdom of isolation where she can be the queen.

The sad truth is that Amity is far from perfect. Everyone sees her as the image of elitism, but she's the same girl that has to run away from the world to escape into books and music to keep from going under. It was easier as a little girl, Mother and Father were a little more forgiving of weakness from a small child. As she grew older though, they became less supportive of her reading so much fiction and singing so many songs of choice.

As great as her older siblings have been recently, they haven't always been so supportive either. They used to tease her for enjoying Azura books so much, or being into cartoons and movie soundtracks. And it wasn't just her family she had to hide her embarrassing secrets from. Once they forced her to abandon Willow and start being friends with more 'desirable' children like Boscha and Skara, she virtually masked herself as the cold and unforgiving grown up that everyone wanted her to be.

It gets so exhausting carrying the weight of everyone else's pressure. At some point, she had to run away, but she had nowhere to run to. That was until she discovered that life changing book, and now _The Lone Witch and The Secret Room_ is a story she calls her own.

She arrives at the romance section at the library carrying only her guitar. The place closed early tonight, likely for the Variety Show that everyone seemed to be at. The same show where all of her friends and all of her peers watched her make a fool of herself, where she revealed one of her most intimate secrets to a sea of laughing faces. She stopped crying a little while ago, maybe because all the running made her a little tired. Maybe she was worried someone would still be here tonight, and they'd see her coming in.

It's not because she's tapped herself of tears though. She realizes that definitely is not the case as she grabs the spine of her signature book, the secret door to her hideout opening just as the proverbial floodgates do in her eyes. She carelessly flings her guitar to the side as she makes her way in, and she conjures enough magic to shut the down tightly behind her so that no one may hear her cries of shame once again.

She ignores the loud pang from her favorite acoustic guitar as she practically crashes into the seat of her desk, draping her elbows over the surface so that she can bury her crying eyes into her hands. Now that she's alone, she doesn't have to hold anything back. She can cry as harshly and as loudly as she needs to to try and subside this growing agony within. "I'm so stupid," she says to herself, hiccuping the words through huffy breaths. "Why did I do this? Why?!"

Every angry, miserable voice inside of her head continues to taunt and berate her. She's stupid. She's an idiot. She's a failure. Why did she think that anyone would enjoy watching her play her guitar? Why did she think anyone would be impressed? Heck, why did she bother trying when all she ever does is screw up when things actually matter? The tears keep falling harder and harder with every sour thought.

The energy to keep her head up oozes out of her body with every tear, especially when she remembers the worst part of this whole ordeal. It was all for Luz. She was supposed to tell her her true feelings today...

"How can I ever tell her now?" she thinks, the idea nearly crippling her heart. It was supposed to be perfect. She was supposed to wow her in a way she's never been wowed, but instead, all she managed to do was make her feel sorry for her. It's almost as bad as the others all laughing at her, in a way. Her crush doesn't think of her as someone capable of greatness, she's just a scared little girl who can't win a witch's duel without cheating. A girl who keeps a diary because nobody actually likes her enough to let her talk to them. A girl who uses a training wand, who takes the easy way out instead of facing her fears, and who breaks her foot playing Grudgby.

She's the girl who's too big of a coward to even ask out her crush, so she writes stupid letters and sings stupid songs instead.

She stops crying at that thought. It's no less painful to realize that she's seemingly lost all hope. Of course not. What stops her is that she gets so caught up in understanding the cruelest truth about her most recent attempt to be brave; and that's that she was actually seeing it through this time. She summoned enough courage to enter the Variety Show, and she was actually bold enough to get up on stage in front of hundreds of people to sing a song for her favorite girl.

But that's just it. It doesn't matter that she did, because fate apparently decided that she didn't deserve to win today. For whatever reason, her microphone wasn't supposed to work, and she was supposed to screw everything up in front of everyone. In front of Luz. Why? Because that's just what she does.

"I'm a loser…"

She shuts her eyes tightly as those words leave her lips. There's so much pain to admit this, but in a way, it liberates her to accept the hard fact. She's supposed to be laughed at, she's supposed to be overlooked, she doesn't deserve everyone's love.

And she doesn't deserve to be anything more to Luz Noceda.

Her heart heavies with devastation as she keeps seeing that beautiful smile in her mind's eye. For a little while, the face brought her contempt. Her cuteness wasn't enough to make her desirable. But then, at this very library, she proved to be something more than a delusional human. She showed that she wasn't a selfish bully, but instead a caring person with bravery, wit, and determination. It also helps that she's into things like magic and Azura.

It doesn't matter now. How could Luz ever like someone as stupid and pathetic as her? That's what Amity comes to terms with as she stares at the blankness of her wall, just trying to ride out this awful feeling she's carried with her all the way from Hexside to the library.

Eventually, her eyes wander to the covers of books she's read over the years to escape such crummy feelings, but none of them would be enough to help her tonight. No, she's far too heartbroken to just pretend these feelings aren't here and sweep them under a rug. So she gives up on the brief thought that she might even be able to, letting her eyes fall to the floor to bask in its cold emptiness.

Were it so easy, though. Instead of just burrowing into that warren, she catches glimpse of her purple guitar from the corner of her eye. She wants to be angry at it, she wants to blame it for causing all of this. But the more she thinks about it, the sadder she feels remembering that she tossed it to the ground so recklessly. It never did anything to hurt her. In fact, it's been her closest friend in times like these.

Finally, she musters the strength to raise her head from her desk. The tears have all dried on her cheeks now, and she doesn't dwell on her misgivings long enough to just study her fallen comrade. Luckily, she didn't seem to damage it. It might be a little out of tune now, but that would be an easy fix. The more she thinks about it, the more she'd like to try sorting that out.

So she stands up, letting out a heavy sigh as her heavy steps trot across the floor on their way to the melancholy instrument. Where there was so much pity for herself, she shifts that sympathy to her guitar as she realizes she had no right to take out her frustrations on it. Her eyes fixate on the masterful craftsmanship of the wooden box, and in its glaring finish, she's able to see a different kind of light that she often overlooks. For all the resentment she holds to her parents, they were at least loving enough to pick out such a perfect guitar for her. It's a small beacon of hope, but it seems to be enough to help her make the short habit of being a little less pessimistic.

She goes to have a seat on her stool, running her fingers gently up the neck of the guitar as she thinks a little more on those things. Her siblings have been good to her. They really helped her out in organizing the act with the Abominations and the 've definitely made good on their word to be nicer to her, that's for sure. "I'll be sure to apologize to them the next time I see them," she promises herself, and to an extent, the guitar as she looks to its tuners. "But I should apologize to you first."

So many conflicting thoughts and feelings rush through her mind and body, but they all seem to come full circle as she presses her fingers against the strings to systematically make sure they're all in tune. With every prick of a string, with every imperfect ring, she's reminded of her place in this world, of her place in this room. She's reminded of the promises she made herself to be perfect, and the failures that have come and gone.

It really sucks to think that she has to fail again with Luz, but it's just something she'll have to accept. She'll move past this, and she'll face her friend tomorrow with bittersweet smiles just as she's done so many times before. She may never tell her the extent of her feelings, and maybe that's even for the best. Until then, she's fine being alone. She's okay with feeling this pain. With a song, maybe she can get through this.

She's not perfect, she can accept that. But here in her special place, she doesn't have to be. She's allowed to be the lone witch with the secret guitar.

A sigh escapes her, and she decides to make herself a little more comfortable as she folds her leg over her knee to help support the guitar. Then, she presses her fingers down on the fretboard, forming a simple chord to help begin the riff to the song she's come to know so well these last few weeks. She settles for a slow down tonight, wanting to pour everything she has into this song for as long as she possibly can.

"You'll soon be hearing the chime close to midnight… If I could turn back the time, I'd make all right… How could it end like this? There's a sting in the way you kiss me. Something within your eyes said it could be the last time… 'Fore it's over!"

"Just wanna be, I wanna bewitch you in the moonlight… Just wanna be, I wanna bewitch you all night…"

"It keeps on giving me chills, but I know now… I feel the closer we get to the last vow… I don't wanna end like this, but the sting in the way you kiss me; something within your eyes said it could be the last time. 'Fore it's over!"

"Just wanna be, I wanna bewitch you in the moonlight… Just wanna be, I wanna bewitch you all night… Just wanna be, I wanna bewitch you... one last time with me tonight. Just wanna be, I wanna be with you… all night. All niiiiiiight!... Woah woah woah…"

She finishes. Her hand hovers over the strings for just a moment longer, her breaths shaky as she rides out the rest of these endorphins. This is why she started playing. She's able to channel all of her emotions into something constructive and empowering, and in this case, the perfect release for her frustration. With every word recited, there was Luz to look to. With every chord created, she could hold her hand and dance with her a little while.

Now it's over. The song is finished, and while she's allowed to start feeling a little better, there's still a lot of recovering to do. "Luz…" she says with a heavy sigh, draping her heavy head over the box of her guitar.

She is certainly surprised to hear Luz say her name back. "Amity?"

At first, she thinks it might just be her imagination. When she looks over to the bookcase that's secretly her doorway into this room though, she sees that it is wide open, and Luz is actually standing there, an astonished look encrusted on her face.

Gay panic. "Luz! What are you doing here?!" Amity hollers, completely caught off guard. Where did Luz come from? How long has she been standing here? What did she see, what did she hear? So many what ifs all swarm her mind, but she's unable to articulate any of them into words as she dumbfoundedly stares back at her crush. And yes, her cheeks flush.

For a moment, Luz does nothing. She just keeps standing there wearing that same guilting face of sorrow she wore back at the auditorium, the one that makes Amity feel like vanishing forever. Slowly though, timidly, Luz takes a few steps forward as she enters the secret room. "That was beautiful. Is that the song you were going to sing at the Variety show?"

This night may never end. Just when Amity thought the worst of it was over, here Luz comes walking through her doorway. The bad dream was supposed to be over now, but apparently there's no rest for the wicked. So many terrifying thoughts flood Amity's mind as her crush comes closer, and while she heard the question asked, she just doesn't know what to say.

If everything went according to plan, this would be the perfect moment to come clean. She could tell her that the song she sang was hers from the very start, she could explain all of her feelings without all this fear. That's not happening though. Not like this. So instead she says nothing, turning her face away so that she can escape Luz's piteous eyes.

In a way, she almost wants for her to just leave. She wants to be spared of this humiliation for at least the rest of the night, maybe even tomorrow. At the same time… she realizes she doesn't want to be alone as much as she thought she did. Or that she just wants Luz to be here.

There's still apprehension in her gait as she pussyfoots into the secret room, but Luz doesn't turn back. She might consider it in the far back of her mind, but something in Amity's eyes… she knows she has to stay. "Amity… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made that stupid joke about 'technical difficulties.'"

It's not what Amity expected to hear. Truthfully, she had forgotten all about that quip. Apparently it bothered Luz enough to bring it to her attention though, and while there's great uncertainty within herself, she at least knows that she doesn't want Luz to be beating herself up over anything. That's supposed to be her job tonight. "You don't have anything to be sorry for. I'm just an idiot who can't do anything right."

Her words are shocking for Luz to hear, her eyes give it away before she even mutters a word. "That's not true! You were controlling all those Abominations, right? All while playing guitar?"

Amity wants to keep averting her gaze, but with every step closer that Luz takes, she can't resist the greater temptation to just meet her eyes. Yes, the sympathy they convey is shameful to recognize, but they're admittedly comforting as she looks into them. It's certainly better than being laughed at, and… well… it shows she cares.

"And when were you going to tell me you can play the guitar?! That's the coolest thing ever!" Luz furthers, even putting on a smile to try and show how much she means it. Dang it, it's enough to make Amity smile a little too, but only for a short second. Her beauty and kindness isn't enough to wash away the darker truths.

"I know you're trying to make me feel better Luz, but you shouldn't bother. I feel like a total doofus, and nothing's going to change that," she tells her as she moves her guitar over to the side, gently this time. As comforting as Luz's smile and eyes are for a moment, she decides she can't face them again as she turns away, nesting her head in arms as she curls up into a little ball on her stool.

Luz remains quiet for a moment as she watches her. The brief shine of her smile fades, and she even lets out a sigh as she deflates. "Well, if you want me to leave you alone, I will. I don't want to, but I will," she tells her. It stings Amity to hear those words, to know that maybe she could be left alone again. It's almost enough for her to even argue, to speak up and tell her to stay. She doesn't ever get to know if she would have though, because Luz has one more thing to say. "But if it's okay, I thought I could show you something."

Amity looks to her as she reveals a little book from within her bag. She looks to the book for a few seconds as she quietly sucks in a deep breath, but she meets Amity's eyes again soon enough, that same fragile veil of feigned confidence from earlier becoming obvious once again. It makes Amity's heart fuzzy to see it, and while all she could think about before is how miserable she is, now she just wants to do what she can to be there for her friend.

"I don't have another chair," she thinks aloud as she realizes this, but Luz doesn't doubt herself. She just weakly grins before having a seat on the ground.

"That's okay. You can sit on the floor with me," she tells her, patting a little spot at her side.

For a moment, Amity has to actualize what's happening in her mind. Earlier today, she was on cloud nine calling this girl a mushroom and repeating the reverie of putting on a show for her. Her hopes and dreams came crashing down, she cried harder than she's maybe ever cried before, and now here Luz is wanting to show her some strange book. This curiousness is part of the Noceda charm, the same thing that's able to lift Amity's spirits every time she feels so down on herself. How is she supposed to say no?

Despite everything that should keep her from enjoying this, she timidly makes her way onto the floor, having a seat right by her stool. Luz shoots her a little bit of a look as she does though, one that lets her know she's supposed to be closer. It intimidates Amity a little to realize she'll have to be right by her side, but, like before… maybe the risk could be worthwhile.

"I told you that I would show you what I would have done at the Variety show, so I brought this with me," Luz explains as Amity makes it to the little spot she patted out. Upon closer look, the book cover has a little drawing of a witch on it, almost like the cover of Amity's personal diary.

Regardless of what this book contains, Amity decides to make one thing clear. Her friend has done enough. "Luz, you don't have to do this."

"I want to," she insists, and from the smile on her face, Amity knows there is no point in arguing. Instead, she just pays close attention as Luz opens the book. "So, feel free to laugh, but I've always wanted to be a writer. Back home I didn't ever think I could be a real witch, so I wrote stories about being one instead."

As she mentions these things, she avoids making eye contact. She glances to Amity for a moment, but quickly wanders her eyes to the comfort of the books shelved along the walls. Amity decides to try and make her life a little easier by checking out the book in her hands, mostly trying to also avoid eye contact, sort of snooping at what's on the pages. It appears to be handwritten text of some sort, and of course, there's little doodles of witches, stars, kittens, and hearts along the border.

Between the nervousness and the sharing of secrets, smiles stay true on both girls' faces, especially Luz as she decides to make her point clear. "I'm not going to make you suffer through this whole thing, because it gets super long-winded and I'm not a fan of my narrative text. But I thought I could maybe read to you this one part I have. If- If you want to, I mean."

How many people know? Does Luz have friends back at home who she's shared her stories with? Has she shown them to Gus and Willow, or the Owl Lady and their talking dog thing? From what Amity can tell, this is a first. The thought that she's willing to share this with her the same way she wanted to share her song makes her heart flutter faster, and she doesn't even worry about seeming desperate or vulnerable. For once, she's willing to show herself. Luz has secrets too, but she doesn't have to hide.

"I'm listening."

With that simple statement, Luz takes a deep breath. "Okay…"

" _Following the defeat of the Monstrous Odabin, the good witch Luzura felt pride. Not only for being able to bring peace to the sacred library, but also for helping her new friend,"_ she starts, earning nothing but attentiveness from Amity. She recognizes those names, and the butterflies in her tummy circle around even faster as Luz continues on.

" _The Lone Witch was hesitant at first. She despised Luzura, she thought that she was a bully and a nuisance. And for all intents and purposes, she had every right to think that. But as the two witches left the library, something felt different. The Lone Witch didn't yell, she didn't run away. She simply kept quiet as Luzura followed behind her, trying to summon all the courage she could to say the things she wanted to say."_

" _Finally, she stopped in her tracks, and she made her voice heard. 'Lone Witch, I know that I've been a jerk. I know that I could be a better person and a better hero to the people I care about. But I care about you, and I want to be your friend.'"_

Luz stops for a moment, her cheeks a little pink as she turns to face Amity once more. "This uh- this next part gets a little fanficky. Bear with me," she warns her. But Amity doesn't offer any judgment. She just listens closely as Luz continues sharing her secret story.

"' _Why would I want to be your friend? You've brought me nothing but pain,' she said. And while Luzura second guessed herself, she knew that if she said nothing, the girl she cared for would walk away forever."_

"' _Because I admire you. I admire your strength. I admire your courage. I've seen the way you influence others, and it makes me want to be a better person myself. I'm sorry if I've hurt you, but I'll make you one promise. I will do the best I can to help you whenever you need me, and I will do the best I can to be a true friend.'"_

As Luz slowly closes the pages of the book together, Amity thinks over the weight of the words. For starters, there's the story itself. While there's the slim chance that Luz had someone else in mind while writing it, it's a safe bet that her lone witch was inspired by Amity. The same way that she sang songs with Luz in mind, Luz wrote stories for her. That alone is enough to numb her, but not in a painful way. It's a certain numbness she's never known, but she can almost recall something similar earlier today as the two girls just laughed and talked together, no fear, no pretending.

"That- that's all I've got," Luz simply says as she cautions a look to her friend. That veil she's kept on her face is practically shattering, and behind it, there's a nervousness that blends with compassion. It calls to Amity, keeping her gaze fixed for a while as she loses herself in this feeling.

She thinks of where to even begin, what she could possibly say after being shown such a cherished truth. While part of her struggles with the concept of having to make sure her words are absolutely perfect so that she can keep feeling this way with Luz, there's another part of her that wants to just stop trying so hard and just let her heart speak for her. It's a temptation she's learned to control for years now, but in this moment, the strength to let it go grows stronger and stronger, and finally, without really having to think it over too hard, she says the first thing that comes to mind.

"What happens next?"

To her pleasant surprise, Luz laughs a little as she looks to the floor for a moment. Whatever guidance she needed from the blank space is quickly found, and she looks to Amity again, virtually veilless now as she smiles. "You want me to be honest? I haven't gotten that far. Part of me wants to hold back for the sake of storytelling. I want to draw it out and stuff so that, you know, it's actually realistic," she laughs, but she isn't so embarrassed to accept the truth as she voices it aloud for Amity. "But another part of me wants to just let go of the things I'm afraid of and go crazy. Let these two ride off into the sunset with a happily ever after, ya know?"

Without that veil to secure anything hidden on Luz's behalf, it's never been easier to just speak. Things are perfect because they're imperfect, her heart flutters because everything said is genuine and true. "Why are you telling me these things?" Amity asks now, and if she had a seat to sit in, she'd be on the ledge of it.

Luz just stares back, her eyes almost twinkling. There's contemplation, maybe the same things Amity thinks to herself about getting everything right. But soon enough, Luz lets go of fear too, and she just says what she wants to say. "Because I care about you. And because I'm so happy to be your friend."

There's a little bit of a pause as the smile she wears well wanes ever so slightly, and Amity just grips to her words as she finishes. "When you ran away like that, it broke my heart. You were so brave to get up on stage with an act like that, and I didn't even have the guts to enter the show to begin with!"

Again, it all comes full circle. Just like Luz wrote her story, Amity sang her song. The difference now is that she feels some pride about it. Sure, things didn't go according to plan, but here Luz is now sharing her deepest confessions with her. Not just her story, but her feelings about the story, and her feelings about Amity. Feelings she wants to return with every second further spent staring into her eyes.

"I liked your story. You're a talented writer," Amity tells her, just saying the first thing her heart can come up with again. It's a carefree feeling she can get used to, and apparently Luz thinks so too, because she laughs.

"And you're a talented liar!"

She wasn't lying. No way. But just the way she says it makes Amity's lips curve into the brightest grin, and she joins in with her friend's laughter. Laughter that lasts a sweet moment before the other girl thinks of something else important to add.

"Amity… I know I can't change what happened tonight. I'm sorry things happened the way they did. But if it means anything, I think you're amazing. You're- you're the type of witch I want to be."

How the heck did this happen? Amity was supposed to spend the rest of her night alone and depressed, but now here she is being told by her crush that she admires her! Between the laughter and all the other saccharine things said, she almost has a hard time believing that this is real.

It is though, and while there's appreciation and love for the good intentions, a great hubris within Amity forces her to beg an important question. "Why?"

"What do you mean 'why?'" Luz retorts, but Amity isn't as amused as she explains herself. It isn't easy, but she believes the things she says.

She makes sure to look to Luz's eyes as she says them, though. If she can be brave the way she wants her to be, that could be enough. "Luz, I've done so many stupid things in my life. I've been a jerk to you and your friends, I've been a coward, I've been a screw up. When I think of you… Luz, you're the type of person I want to be. It shouldn't be the other way around."

Fate could probably be cruel enough to let Luz simply agree with her. To let her accept that as true and be on her way. Fate has been a strange thing today though, and it proves to be more forgiving as Luz just softly smiles at Amity, even going as far as to place her hand over hers.

"Well… You're not perfect. No one is," she starts, but her eyes speak much different volumes as they keep looking back to Amity Blight. "I like you the way you are though."

The funny thing about Luz is that not only is she the person best at making Amity laugh against her best efforts, but she is also the person who makes her cry just the same. They're not tears of anguish this time though as Amity tries to keep them from falling, failing as she's forced to wipe from away with her free hand. There's no shriekin' way she's letting go of Luz's hand, after all.

This is why she did it all. This is the reason she entered the show knowing the risks involved. Because she hoped and prayed that she could have time like this with Luz. Is it perfect? Certainly not. But it's pretty darn close, and definitely worth letting her see some tears of joy as she smiles back to her. "I'm so lucky to have you."

For a little while, the two girls just stay quiet as they sit here hand in hand, flushing in their cheeks, fluttering in their hearts. If this is the best it gets tonight, it'll be a win for Amity. She'll sleep soundly tonight knowing that everything will be okay.

But… at the same time, she remembers what Luz had to say about the good witch Luzura and her friend the lone witch. Sometimes it's good to let things simmer, but what if she took a chance? What if right here, right now, she said something to make the start of a happily ever after? Maybe this is perfect, just Luz, Amity, and the secret room.

A little too much time is spent thinking it over though, and Luz is first to speak as she moves her hand away from hers. "Well, before we get too carried away with the 'I love you more' stuff, I should show you something else," she says.

"Oh?" Amity manages to mutter, a little wistful that things are moving quickly again. Her forlornness isn't held long though as she watches Luz reach in her bag for something else now, perhaps another secret to share. What it is however is something a little more recognizable than a mysterious book though. It's a little piece of paper on it with what looks to be a spell symbol marked on it.

"Your sister gave this to me. She said to show it to you when I see you again," Luz explains as she invites Amity to take it. She looks to it for a moment longer, both curious over what the sheet can offer and somber at the memory of leaving her siblings behind.

Any sorrow is swiftly diffused though as she scans the paper given to her, noticing some small cursive signed on the back of the sheet. " _You can still make things perfect, Mittens."_

She can't be sure what it is. There's a thousand possibilities, hundreds of ways this glyph could change the course of an already unforgettable evening. The more she studies the symbol drawn on the paper though, the more she understands two things. One, she has the best siblings ever. Two… she can still make things perfect.

Her nebulous is broken as Luz slyly leans closer, a little smirk resting on her face as she looks to Amity. "So... not to be nosey, but what is it?"

Whatever it is, she knows it was put together with love. Just like every other secret she's explored today. That alone is all she needs to rise up to her feet, and enough to extend her hand for Luz to take it. "It's- It's better if I show you."

Where there was a cheeky grin, now there's something more sincere written in Luz's face as she looks to the pale hand of her dear friend. There's curiosity of course, but no questioning the gesture as she accepts Amity's hand, letting her help her to her feet as she prepares to reveal the secret of Emira's glyph.

Her heart beats harder as she hovers her finger over the symbol on the page, but there's only a little hesitation before she presses her finger down to summon the spell. When she does, the paper disintegrates, and a wave of blue magical energy wisps into the air. The wisp bursts like a bubble, and when it does, the secret room is transformed into a starry dome, almost like they're beneath the night sky.

As if it couldn't be anymore mesmerizing, a familiar sound manifests somewhere in the thin air. It's a recognizable melody, a tune Amity's heard so many times now that the moment the first note plays, she knows exactly what it is.

She's in the moonlight with Luz, just like she's always wanted.

Of course it's not really the moonlight. It's an illusion, just a spell courtesy of Edric and Emira Blight to make the girls think that they're beneath a starry sky. It's a very good illusion though, because not only does Amity feel her heart practically freeze in her chest, but Luz too is charmed by the spectacle as she widens her eyes and smiles brightly. "Wow… It's beautiful!"

In this moment, Amity understands one more secret. It's a secret that fate has been keeping, one that she feels almost silly for not knowing sooner. This was meant to happen. She was meant to fail at the Variety Show, because it made this moment possible. Maybe there was some pain on the way here, maybe the road was rough and rocky between Grom Night, Grudgby, and even their first shared experience at the library.

But seeing Luz smile like this, sharing this night with her… She realizes what she really needed to make things perfect was simply her all along.

With that, she smiles too, and she says the first thing that her heart tells her to say. "So are you."

It takes Luz a moment for the words to register, but when they do, she brightens up like one of the stars around them. "Aww! Amity!"

There's no more need to fear, no real reason to hide. The veils have been forgotten, the fears have all vanished. There's only one last secret to make known, and if there's one thing Amity Blight can be sure of, it's that she made a promise to herself to tell Luz Noceda the truth by the end of tonight.

"Luz… I did all of this for you," she begins. Yes, she feels every of her body trembling, but she'll fight through it. The risk could very well be worth the reward.

Between the strange new magic around her and being suddenly called beautiful by this other girl, Luz is a little flustered. "What are you talking about?" she asks now, and while Amity knows she could easily create an illusion of her own to turn back and hide the truth a little longer, she won't. Not anymore.

"This song, the Variety Show; I did it all so I could impress you," she continues, the racing of her heart growing faster with every second.

"Impress me? Amity, you don't have to impress me," Luz tries to tell her, but Amity has made her mind up. She's got something to say, and nothing will stop her now.

"Maybe I don't, but I wanted to. You're so nice and amazing, and- and I wanted things to be perfect. But I see now that all I need for things to be perfect is to have you with me."

The music around her just blends into the stars as she carefully moves her hand forward to take hold of Luz's. The other girl doesn't resist, she just lets Amity have it as she fights to keep from tearing up. "You're gonna make me cry. I'm an ugly crier," she jokes, and of course Amity smiles. Of course she does.

"So am I," she jokes back, but it's the last joke she'll ever say before she commits to something far more sincere. The song, the guitar, the secrets; they all fulfill the purpose of a grand design as Amity finally reveals the truth.

"I like you, Luz. I want to be with you."

Everything was moving so quickly before, but once those words leave Amity's lips, all is frozen. For a moment, she feels overwhelmed with so many feelings; fear, joy, excitement, relief, all the colors of an adrenaline rushed rainbow. Slowly though, ever so slowly does she open her eyes, doing her best to look into Luz's so that she can see the truth in her eyes. She isn't so sure what she sees in hers, there's definitely surprise, but all she's able to do is wait as the other girl wraps her head around it all.

"You like me?" she parrots, and for a moment, she just stares back to Amity, trying to follow in her footsteps and say the perfect thing in response. Unfortunately, she doesn't find a guiding light, she isn't blessed with any sort of intervention. She just finds Amity's eyes, and while they make it hard to know what to say, they make it easy to smile again. "I don't know what to say…"

While she understands what this means for them, Amity doesn't become distressed. She told the truth, and for now, that's okay. They're still here together in the moonlight, at least. "I'm sorry. It's okay if you don't feel the same way."

The truth about Amity Blight, though? She isn't perfect. And that means sometimes she gets things wrong.

"Feel the same way? Amity, of course I do! I've just been too scared to say anything!"

For years, Amity was told about perfection. She was told who to be, what to do, and how to make things right. For a while, she thought she understood the truth. She thought that being perfect meant getting everything right. Here and now, she realizes that isn't the case though. Luz Noceda, the human girl who turned her world upside down, the girl who stole her training wand and then stole her heart… she likes her too. She feels the same way.

Just when she thinks she might be dreaming, Luz keeps going. Her assurance of her love is enough to make Amity bright as a star, and she practically beams like one when she hears what her crush has to say. "You're the coolest girl I've ever met. I didn't think you could like someone like me."

There's so many feelings all cascading within her, so many thoughts that she tries to wrap her head around as she tries to decide on the right thing to say to the girl in front of her. Maybe it's the music, maybe it's adrenaline coursing through her veins, maybe it's just fate. Whatever it is, Amity doesn't feel afraid anymore. Luz likes her too, and because of that, they'll have plenty of time to say all the things they've kept hidden for so long.

Until then, she settles for another slow down. "Well guess what? I do," she says, and then she stares deep into her eyes to ask her one more thing. "May I have this dance?"

For Luz, there seems to be a certain clarity. It rings true in the way she smiles back, but even more so in the way she pretends to act like she really might say no. "Hmm… I don't know. I guess so," she teases, but she surprises Amity even more. "Just one more thing…"

She pulls Amity in a little closer, wrapping her free hand around her back to hold her in tight. Their eyes have never been so near, their hearts never more in sync. The seconds burn too slow while draining all too quickly, and in them, Amity is lost as to where these secret languages might take them. In Luz's eyes though, she learns quickly what she needs to do.

In the moonlight with her favorite song sounding off around them, Amity kisses Luz, making good on her promise to tell her the truth about her feelings. It doesn't last long, it isn't overwhelming, it's just enough for these two girls to share their truest colors and feel happy being together. The best part? They know it's the first of many to come.

Until the next time though, they decide to just hold each other close, dancing slowly to ride out the rest of their magical evening somewhere between a secret room and a starry night. And while there were some hard times along the way, they both agree on one thing without even having to say it.

It's perfect.

THE END

* * *

**Thanks so much for reading, true believers!**

**I want to give credit to Ghost for their song "Dance Macabre" though. That's the song I had Amity sing for Luz, and it was honestly my biggest inspiration for writing this story.**

**Hopefully I get to write some more Lumity in the future, but either way, thanks again for reading, and take good care! :)**


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